Courts and courtiers -- Fiction; German fiction -- Translations into English; Germany -- Fiction
The sister was quite disconcerted. "Yes," she said, "it's obvious." And
a little pained look of bewilderment was visible in her face.
The position was a complicated one. Doctor Sammet looked in Klaus
Heinrich's face for orders, but as Klaus Heinrich was accustomed to do
what was put before him according to prescribed forms, but not to
grapple with novel and complex situations, no solution of the difficulty
was forthcoming. Herr von Braunbart was on the point of intervening, and
Miss Spoelmann on the other side was making ready to leave the
milk-kitchen, when the Prince made a gesture with his right hand which
established a connexion between himself and the young girl. This was the
signal for Doctor Sammet to advance towards Imma Spoelmann.
"Doctor Sammet. Yes." He desired the honour of presenting Miss Spoelmann
to his Royal Highness.... "Miss Spoelmann, Royal Highness, the daughter
of Mr. Spoelmann to whom this hospital is so much indebted."
Klaus Heinrich clapped his heels together and held out his hand in its
white gauntlet, and, laying her small brown-gloved hand in it, she gave
him a horizontal hand-shake, English fashion, at the same time making a
sort of shy curtsey, without taking her big eyes off Klaus Heinrich's
face. He could think of nothing more original to say than: "So you too
are paying a visit to the hospital, Miss Spoelmann?"
And she answered as quickly as before, with a pout and the little
haughty wag of her head. "Nobody can deny that everything points in that
direction."
Herr Braunbart involuntarily raised his hand, Doctor Sammet looked down
at his watch-chain in silence, and a short snigger escaped through the
nose of one of the young surgeons, which was hardly opportune. The
little pained look of bewilderment now showed on Klaus Heinrich's face.
He said: "Of course.... As you are here.... So I shall be able to visit
the institution in your company, Miss Spoelmann.... Captain von
Braunbart, my aide-de-camp ..." he added quickly, recognizing that his
remark laid him open to a similar answer to the last. She responded by:
"Countess Löwenjoul."
The Countess made a dignified bow--with an enigmatic smile, a side
glance into the unknown, which had something seductive about it. When,
however, she let her strangely evasive gaze again dwell on Klaus
Heinrich, who stood before her in a composed and military attitude, the
laugh vanished from her face, an expression of sadness settled on her
features, and for a second a look of something like hatred for Klaus
Heinrich shone in her slightly swollen grey eyes. It was only a passing
look. Klaus Heinrich had no time to notice it, and forgot it
immediately. The two young surgeons were presented to Imma Spoelmann,
and then Klaus Heinrich suggested that they should continue the tour all
together.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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